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Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

NO JAIL TIME????
Intresting!!!
The chance to meet " BUBBA " in person & interact some how seems to put maybe some teeth into the law other than a fine might.
I would be intrested as to what kind of cash these folks are sitting on from there sales to be able to pay the fines & what not???

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

Coming from Federal Law ENforcement, we had to destroy the evidence after the trial. I am sure ICE has the same procedures. However, this is way too lenient for the level and organization of the crime. Problem is if they go to federal prison, or as we still call it, "club fed" they will probably get more business accomplished there than on the outside.

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

However, this is way too lenient for the level and organization of the crime. Problem is if they go to federal prison, or as we still call it, "club fed" they will probably get more business accomplished there than on the outside.

I agree, and I also think the problem is not going away permanently, just too much money to be made in selling this crap, interesting that past convictions,
interruptions by catching suppliers , both small and large, (eg Wolf from Germany )and this final round up of these two crooked companies,where they actually come on board with the gov't investigators to co operate(they didn't have much choice), the slap on the hand fine,which I think is very small amount compared to the money made packing this junk will only be a short term fix,6 months,or a couple of years down the road the problem will be back and likely the same two companies be at it again

The Canadian connection,Don Courture,Premier Food Sales could do some serious jail time, all because it seemed so easy to sell this contaminated honey

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

Seems to be a real shortage of white honey, Odem is offering 2.00/lb and talking of forward contracting on 2013 crop for 1.85 .A large Eastern Canadian packer phoned a western producer,handler looking for 2- 3 million lbs.....it appears their may be 30 -60 loads left in western Canada, what they end up selling for is anyone's guess. I am hearing lots of things on the US border opening up for package bees,from a lawsuit against the gov't and its closed door policy to the Maritimes where there is a huge shortage of bees for Blueberry pollination.Seems Canadian Horticulture Society has presented a resolution to Canadian Honey Council to open the border to packaged US bees for blueberry pollination.......my ....what good high priced honey and Blueberries can and will do......maybe

The following information comes from the February 2012 issue (Vol. 25, #1) of “Hivelights,” the quarterly industry magazine published by the Canadian Honey Council.
Commercial beekeepers in Canada also have been noting greater annual colony losses than in the past. Current losses, an average 29.3 percent during 2010-2011, is about double what used to be the expected loss and 21 percent higher than the 2009-2010 loss (average 21 percent). Thus, Can-adian beekeepers are looking to outside sources to purchase queens and packages to restock their hives.
In 2000, Canadian beekeepers purchased around 60,000 queens (at $11.45 per queen) and around $750,000 worth of packages. In 2011, they purchased nearly 200,000 queens (at $18.00 per queen) and over $3 million worth of packages. Federal import records show that 70 to 73 percent of the queens are imported from the U.S. The rest of the queens come from Australia, New Zealand, and Chile. Since packages are not allowed from the U.S., they come from New Zealand, Australia and Chile, too.................seems demand is growing

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

Ian I agree. At this price new beekeepers will e attracted to the industry. Those getting long in the tooth will be able to cash out. I am of the opinion that at $2.00/lb Cdn then it is possible to do share crops with other beekeepers. With prarie guys getting 150 pounds a season, that's $150 for the guys that own the hives and $150 for the guy who owns he honey supers and has access to forage. There is enough moneyin it for both parties. At $1.25/ pound it is just to lean.

It is interesting to see the blueberry gowers moaning about our industry. I wonder how much influence an outside industry will have on ours? Whatever happens it will be interesting.

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

I would be very reluctant to sign any futures contracts. With the feds fining Groeb, and infiltrating Honey Solutions, you can bet there will be more action to come. Cypher on what would happen to the price of real honey if the feds stop 1/3 of the "honey" used in the U.S.A. from being imported.

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

Good point Roland. Apparently there is not a lot of white honey in the world. Australia is short, Argentina as well. There do not seem to be any forces that would drive the price down. At this point it appears to me that everything is in place for prices to rise more. So why sign any forward contracts. Now if they wanted to advance money on a forward contract (highly unlikely) that could be attractive.

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

A report on world honey trade
Honey: World Production, Top Exporters, Top Importers, and United States Imports by Country
and a breakdown on one US packers imports U.S. Imports of Honey from Argentina: Glorybee Natural Sweetener’s Honey Imports by Origin and Value

Re: Bulk honey prices and market outlook

Looks like the orange honey crop is going to be very short this year big buyers are offering 2.10 for white. I heard CA has to many bee to make it, and Fl this year most places didn't put out the nectar or have the warm weather needed to make the honey.